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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24274702">The lifestream within yourself</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulaShona/pseuds/JulaShona'>JulaShona</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Clerith, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:28:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,278</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24274702</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulaShona/pseuds/JulaShona</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The journey to save the planet has started. They just arrived Junon to find Sephiroth. However, Aerith unleashes a new power she never knew she had. Within the planet saving journey Aerith and the others are confronted to decipher the mystery of this new power. What is this power? What is the cause of it to be awakened and why? Is it the ultimate weapon to defeat Sephiroth forever?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The lifestream within yourself</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Please, note that <strong>English is NOT my native language</strong>! So, please, be gentle with me. Feel free to give me suggestions, or send me a corrected version, for improvement.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Chapter 1</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <strong>The awakening</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>It was still in the middle of the night. Cloud and the other guys just arrived Junon. They took a few minutes to have a look around the city, to make sure, that Shinra wasn’t threatening them here. To their luck everything seemed fine. Then they reached a beautiful bay where you could see the seas water glow and shimmer into the night. However, they weren’t alone.</p><p>“Hello, Mr. Dolphin!”, they heard a little girl say.</p><p>Suddenly they saw, how a dolphin actually came over to that little girl, that was standing at the edge of the rocks in the bay.</p><p>“My name is Pricilla. How about you?”, she asked the animal in the water.</p><p>Cloud lifted an eyebrow. “Is she talking to that animal?”</p><p>“Why not? I talk to flowers.”, Aerith giggled.</p><p>Suddenly the girl heard them and turned around. “Who are you? Are you from Shinra?”</p><p>“No, we’re not. Don’t worry.”, Tifa said calmly.</p><p>“Right. We are good people.”, Aerith assured her with a sweet smile on her lips.</p><p>“I don’t believe you guys! Go away!”, Pricilla screamed.</p><p>Suddenly something was moving in the water and the ground was shaking like an earthquake was coming.</p><p>“What is this?!”, Aerith said surprised from the moving ground.</p><p>Within the next second a giant water monster appeared from the water and was about to attack the dolphin, so that it wasn’t in its way anymore.</p><p>Pricilla screamed: “Mr. Dolphin! I’ll help you!”, and went into the water, to rescue her friend from the attack.</p><p>However, Pricilla got caught by that monster and was pulled deep into the water.</p><p>“Oh no! We have to help her!”, Tifa said shocked.</p><p>Cloud was already preparing himself to jump after her, but someone was faster than him.</p><p>“Aerith!”, Cloud called her name startled by her sudden action.</p><p> </p><p>Aerith swam after Pricilla until she could finally catch her. She was fighting frustratingly against the grip of the monster, but it held her too tight. Aerith saw that she started to panic and obviously was getting out of oxygen, due to her fast movements. The last Ancient took her magic staff and sent an attack to monster’s tail, that was curled around Pricilla. She could see how the little girl stopped to move, and her eyes were slowly starting to close. Right in that moment, where the creature loosened its grip around the little girl, Aerith sprinted over to Pricilla and grabbed her immediately. She started to swim back to the surface, but unfortunately, she was stopped by the creature’s tail. She tried to free herself, but the grip was just too tight to be able to escape so easily. In the next second she used magic to send Pricilla back to the surface, so that she at least was save again.</p><p> </p><p>At the edge of the bay the other guys were waiting impatiently and worried.</p><p>“Why did she do that?!”, Cloud asked.</p><p>“You almost did the same!”, Barret answered.</p><p>“Look!”, Tifa screamed almost in relief and pointed to the spot on water, that was glowing brightly.</p><p>Suddenly an unconscious Pricilla came to the surface. Tifa went straight to her and took her out of the water.</p><p>“Come one! Wake up!”, Tifa whispered, tapping the small cheek of the girl.</p><p>A few seconds later Pricilla started to cough water and was finally breathing again, however, she was too weak to move.</p><p>“Is Mr. Dolphin okay?”, she asked weakly and exhausted.</p><p>Tifa stroke the wet hair of the girl and said softly: “He’ll be fine.”</p><p>Cloud’s mind was going crazy. Aerith didn’t come back with the girl. Did anything happen to her? With each second, he got more afraid that Aerith might not come back. Suddenly these weird headaches overwhelmed him again.</p><p>“Argh!”, he gasped in pain and held his head in pain.</p><p>“Cloud! What’s wrong?!”</p><p>Cloud started to see something… visions of moments, he never experienced. He didn’t know why he had these visions lately, but the vision he just saw let his heart beat faster in panic. He saw Aerith falling deep into water, deep into a darkness he might never be able to reach in order to get her back.</p><p>“Cloud!”, Tifa and Barret screamed his name, when he unexpectedly jumped into the water as well.</p><p> </p><p>Aerith was still struggling with the tail, that was holding her back, to get back to the surface. It wrapped its tail more and more around her until it hurt her so much, that she couldn’t proceed a spell for an attack. She felt so frustrated and defeated.</p><p><em>»Is this it?«</em>, she thought and started to give up the fight against the monster.</p><p>Right now she wished, that Cloud would come and rescue her.</p><p><em>»At the end… I always depend on him…. Heh, I’m actually no use at all.«</em>, she laughed silently over herself by smiling desperately.</p><p>The monster felt Aerith not struggling anymore therefore, it let go of her and went ahead to the surface.</p><p>Aerith felt the darkness around her and how her oxygen was on its limits, while she fell deeper into the water. With every second, she felt the pain of suffocation and the darkness of the water started to overwhelm her body. Slowly she was falling into unconsciousness.</p><p><em>»That is not… how I want it to end.«</em>, she thought in pain and crying inwardly. <em>»There is so much more… I wanted to witness. So much… I wanted to change! At the end I couldn’t change anything.«</em></p><p>While letting these thoughts run through her mind, she saw Cloud’s calm face in her inner eye, as if he actually was right in front of her. Even though it was just an imagination, she had to smile after remembering his eyes. He was the last thing, she could think about, while getting consumed by the darkness and her upcoming death.</p><p> </p><p>Cloud went instantly after Aerith as he saw the frightening vision that was just too similar, to what was happened right now. He couldn’t just stay there and wait, if just a small possibility was there, that she might disappear forever. He couldn’t let that happen, never! His strong legs brought him very deep into the water, where he almost couldn’t see anything, not even his own hand. He had no clue, where she could be, though he hoped, that it wasn’t too late yet. Suddenly he saw a yellow light moving deeper to the ground.</p><p><em>»Could this be Aerith?«</em>, he thought.</p><p>He didn’t think too long and went after it. Just like assumed, he saw her unconsciously floating further into the water.</p><p><em>»Hang in there, Aerith! I’m coming!«,</em> he screamed in his mind.</p><p>Aerith was not gone yet. She felt someone scream her name, though, she couldn’t assign the voice right away. She has fallen too deep into the darkness, that she wasn’t really able to hear anything than the painful cries of the planet. Maybe because she was so close to it this time? Or because nothing was around her, than the water? She didn’t know it.</p><p> </p><p>Cloud just arrived Aerith’s level, but the only sight he got was a lifeless Aerith, that let his heart arch in pain. He needed her to get to the surface right now, but they were too deep as that they would make it on time. It might have been a couple of minutes when she jumped into the water, but that was already too long for a human being, Ancient or not. She was no god. He had to do it in order to save her life. With no further hesitation, he wrapped one arm around her waist, to pull her body closer to his, and the other hand cupped her head, pulling her lips closer to his for a deep kiss of life. Cloud knew there was no time to enjoy this moment as Aerith’s life was one the line, however, he couldn’t resist to let his heart skip a beat and think that her lips are the softest thing, he ever felt in his life.</p><p>All of a sudden green lights started to surround them and wrapped both in it’s warm and natural light, embracing and southing them with its warmth. Then it suddenly stopped moving.</p><p>In the next second Aerith’s eyes shut open and the lights around them exploded like a firework, as if life has gotten back to her body. It started to swirl around them, moving them back to the bay, where Tifa and Barret were waiting.</p><p>Cloud already pulled back, but still held her close to him, while she wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him, thankful that he came for her… again. He had no idea what was going on. He glanced at Aerith, who was embracing him tightly. He could literally feel the relief she felt. He returned her embrace by wrapping his second arm around her, pulling her closer to him, to assure her, that he was there to save her anytime and wouldn’t let go so easily.</p><p>When they started to reach the surface, and already could see the monster, the lights around them split and raced to the direction of it. The green lights wrapped themselves around the creature and with only one tight squeeze it vanished with a loud cry.</p><p>Cloud and Aerith were pushed back to the rocks of the bay by the light which disappeared straight away.</p><p>Aerith was coughing water and trying to catch her breath, while Cloud was just breathing heavily. He stood up and offered her help which she gladly accepted. With soft movements he helped her up again.</p><p>“Are you okay?”, he asked with a concerned expression on his face, not intending to let go of her.</p><p>She put on a small smile on her face and answered: “I think.”</p><p>Cloud felt his heart clench by that smile. “You don’t have to play strong, Aerith… You almost drowned.”</p><p>The last Ancient replied with a bewildered expression to his comment, but right after that she lowered her eyes, feeling guilty that she made him worry about her. Suddenly she felt her legs getting weak and was about to fall back to the ground. Though, Cloud was still holding her and caught her on time by wrapping his arm around her waist. He pulled her closer to him to prevent her from falling again. Now, they were so close to each other, just like in the water a few moments back then. Right in this moment, they shared an intense moment, looking deep into the eyes of the other one. Green eyes met blue ones, infused with Mako. No awkwardness, no fear, no force. Not even one bit of bad energy surrounded them. Just them being there holding each other, feeling each other’s warmth. Cloud opened his lips to say something but was interrupted.</p><p>“Cloud, Aerith!”, they suddenly heard Tifa calling their names.</p><p>They turned their heads to look to the direction they heard her calling. They saw her, jogging to them with Barret behind her.</p><p>“What the hell did just happened?! What was that green light, that just pulverized that monster?”, Barret asked confused, holding the sleeping Pricilla in his arm.</p><p>Cloud looked back to Aerith. This was the question he wanted to ask her. She seemed to try to realize the latest event. He could say that the green light, that seemed like Mako, felt warm and pleasant, like a warm embrace. As if it was a power, that she unknowingly unleashed to save them.</p><p>“I’m not sure… but I think it was the planets energy?”, Aerith told them her suggestions.</p><p>Cloud did not miss that she left out the fact that she summoned the energy. Was she uncertain about its cause? Or didn’t she realize that it was from her? He wasn’t too sure. What was she planning?</p><p>Aerith couldn’t really explain it herself. It just overwhelmed her. She felt a sudden connection when Cloud tried to save her. She couldn’t control it, neither did she know that she held such kind of power. As long as she hasn’t discovered the mystery of it, she wouldn’t tell the others more about it.</p><p>“Oh my god! Pricilla!”, all heard someone say.</p><p>An old man came over to them and asked: “What happened?! Is she okay?!”</p><p>“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.”, Barret assured him.</p><p>“Come, let’s bring her back home!”, the old man insisted and went ahead to show them the way.</p><p>Barret and Tifa went right after him with the little girl. Cloud and Aerith followed them, just a bit slower, as Aerith hasn’t fully recovered, yet.</p><p>“Cloud?”, he heard her say his name after a while, and felt her suddenly stop.</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“You can let me go. I think I can handle myself now.”</p><p>“Are you sure?”, he asked.</p><p>“Aww, ya don’t wanna let go of me so much? You must really like me a lot, huh?”, she teased him.</p><p>Cloud got flustered by her comment and slowly let go of her, avoiding her eyes. “You’re right, you might can handle yourself.”, he said before he kept going.</p><p>Aerith was still standing there and stared at his back. A small satisfied smile crossed her lips, but at the same time she felt frustrated.</p><p>“He didn’t deny it… not at all.”, she whispered to herself making sure nobody could hear her.</p><p>Carefully she touched her lips with her fingertips. She never knew that her first kiss would be one of this kind, yet it left more questions than she already had. Did this happen… because of the kiss? Or because she was in front of death’s door? She didn’t know it… Not yet.</p>
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